Cementing device



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR. /1////ard E CVGr/r A r TORNf) H. F. CLARK CEMENTING DEVICE March 31, 1953 Filed. June 7, 1948 March 1953 H. F. CLARK 2,633,201

CEMENTING DEVICE Filed June '7, 1948 2 SHEETSSI-IEET 2 2 INVENTOR. H/lllqro F C lor/r ATTORA/[Y Patented Mar. 31, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CEMENTING DEVICE Hilliard F. Clark, Houston, Tex., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company, Duncan, kla., a mumration of Delaware Application June 7, 1948, Serial No. 31,442

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to apparatus used in cementing wells and relates particularly to cementing devices which may be controlled by an operating string extending to the surface of the ground.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cementing device which may be set at any desired level in a well which will eifectively perform cementing operations at the desired level.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device of the character described, of simpler construction, less expensive to make, easier to manipulate and more eflicient than similar devices used for a. common purpose.

A feature of the invention is the provision therein of a central mandrel by which the tool may be manipulated by connection to an operating string extending to the surface. A further feature is the provision of means on the mandrel to jack up the slip cage if the tool cannot be withdrawn from the well readily so as to maintain the wall engaging means and packing element in retracted position. A further feature is the provision of releasable means on the mandrel to successively leave varying and additional parts of the apparatus in the Well if the device becomes stuck and may not be readily removed from the well.

Another feature is the provision of a safety Joint in the device so that the varying and additional parts may be readily uncoupled when desired.

A further feature is the provision of a novel J-slot arrangement which further simplifies the manipulation of the device and cooperates to make the invention more positive and efficient in operation.

- Other and further objects will appear from the following preferred example which shows novel features of operation, construction and arrangement of parts and which is by way of description and not limitation. Throughout the description reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a longitudinal view, partly in section showing the device as it is going into the well with the slips and packing element in retracted position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the device with slips and packing element expanded during a cementing operation;

Figure 3" is a longitudinal view, partly in section, showing the device with the slip cage jacked.

up and the slips and packing element in retracted positions;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1 showing the J-slot arrangement; and

Figure 5 is a. cross-sectional view taken alon the line 55 of Figure 1 and shows the J-slot arrangement.

My device includes a central mandrel H) which extends axially through the device and has a longitudinal passage ll therethrough. The upper end of the mandrel I0 is threadedly secured to the lower end of a string of pipe or drill stem I which extends to the surface of the ground and by which the tool may be manipulated. A set screw such as shown at 2 may be provided if desired to prevent untimely uncoupling of the mandrel II] from the pipe I.

A tubular housing or slip cage I2 is disposed about the upper portion of the mandrel l0 and has a plurality of longitudinal wiper springs l3 spaced about the outer periphery thereof for a purpose to be disclosed later.

A tubular packer support i5 is threadedly secured to the lower end of mandrel ill by relatively coarse or fast thread l6 and the former is threadedly secured to nose piece I! at its lower end.

A slip sleeve I8 is slidably disposed intermediate mandrel l0 and slip cage I2 and has upwardly tapering surfaces [9 and 20 adapted to engage cooperating tapered inner surfaces 2| and 22 respectively of slips 23 disposed in said slip cage. As indicated in Figure 1, slips 23 are normally held in retracted position by fiat springs 24 which may be secured in cage l2 by screws 25. As shown in the drawings, slips 23 have upwardly inclined teeth to fix the device against upward move- .ment, when the slips frictionally engage the inner,

wall of the casing 14.

In order to seal off that portion of the well above the desired cementing level, a tubular packing element 26 of any suitable material is disposed about packer support l5 and stops against the upper shoulder of nose piece I! and the bottom of outwardly flanged radial shoulder 21 at the lower end of slip sleeve'l8. Relative upward movement of nose piece I! with respect to radial shoulder 21 will compress and expand packing element 26 into sealing engagement with the easing I4 as described later.

A ring 30 is threadedly secured to the upper end of mandrel ID by relatively fine or slow threads 3| and is slidable in housing [2. Pin 32 is threadedly secured to the outer periphery of ring 30 and the former moves in J-slot 33 disposed in the upper portion of slip cage [2. As more clearly shown in Figure 4, the lower end of J-slot 33 is upwardly recessed as at 34 for a purpose later the ring 30 so that pin 32 will be in a lowermost position in J-slot 33, as shown in Figures 1 and 4.

Upon reaching an elevation in the well where it is desired to perform a cementing operation, an upward pull on and rotation to the right of the operating string I will cause pin 32 to move upwardly in J-slot 33, inasmuch as wiper springs 13 will tend to hold slip cage i2 fixed relative to the casing 14. The described upward pull on the operating string will raise mandrel Iii, nose piece I! and slip sleeve It so that inclined surfaces 19 and 20 on the latter will engage cooperating inner surfaces 2| and 22 respectively of slips 23 and urge the slips outwardly into fric When. the required amount of cementhas been. pumped down: through-the device, the operating string is lowered and rotated to the left, thereby causing pin 32 to move to the lowermost. position inJ-slot33. A flushing fluid may be pumped down the operatingstring to flush out the cement above the packer and in the device. Obviously, flushing fluid may be pumped down the casing and back through the device and tubing. if desired I'he device may be withdrawn from the wellby exerting an. upward pull on the operating string whereby pin 32- will move into recessed portion 34 of J-slot' 33. Thus, the slips and packer. are maintained in contracted position and the device may be withdrawn from thewell.

- In: the event that pin 32 will not move into the recessed portion 34 of II-5101133 X? if the tool will not come out of the hole readily, the operating.

string of pipei may be rotated and coarse or fast thread l6 at the lower end of the tool. will unthread at atasterrate thanrelatively fine or slow thread 3i at the top of the mandrel l0 whereby pin 32 will strike the uppermost portion of J-sl'ot' 33 and jack up slip cage 12, as

shown: in Figure" 3so that slips 23 and packing element 25 will be held in contracted: position and the device may be withdrawn from the well.

If the cementing deviceis stuck in. the hole; further rotation of the operating string l and central mandrel it will unthread the latter'from packer support l before the thread at 3| will become unscrewed. Thus, the tool may be with drawn from the well leaving only packer support I5, nose piece I! and packing element 25. g

If the tool is still stuck in the well further rotationof the operating string will unscrew the threaded area at 31 whereby the central mandrel may be withdrawn from the well leaving the rest of thedevice therein. All parts: except the. central mandrel are made of drillable material and, if leftinthe well, may be readily drilled.

It is obvious that I can lower my cementing device to any desired level in a well and by rotating and. exerting an upward force on the 4 operating string set the slips and expand the packer into sealing position in the well. The well may then be cemented. The device may then be flushed out and withdrawn by rotating and lowering the operating string and then raising the tool.

In the event the slips and packing element will not'remain contracted, the operating string may be rotated to jack up the slip cage thereby holding the slips and packing element in inoperative position and the tool withdrawn from well.

If the tool is stuck in the well, further rotation of the operating string will release various and successively more parts and such successive and additional parts may be left in the well as the occasion requires. It seems obvious that the threaded arrangement on the. central mandrel acts as a safety joint.

In some cases it maybe desirable to use a bypass valve in the operating, string just above the tool to aid in positioning the tool in the well;

however, such a valve is not part of this: inven-- tion, and, accordingly is not shown or described.

While in. the example described a certain type of. cementing operation has been described, it is obvious that my device may be used. for various cementing operations, all well known to those skilled in. the art. It is to be understood that my invention may be used for introducing any fluid or semi-fluid substance into a well under pres sure. plastics maybe effectively and. positively injected into the well. at any desired level by the use of my invention.

While a preferred embodiment of. my invention.

has'been described in connection. with a cementing operation, it is. obvious that. certain changes might be made within the scope of the invention.

set forth in the following claim.

I claim:

A well cementing apparatus adapted to be secured in casing in a well bore to seal the same comprising a. mandrel having an. axial bore, a slip cage connected to said. mandrel byrelatively fine threads and having slips therein, an assem blynaving a packer thereon, said? assembly being mountedon said mandrel beneath. said. slip cage and connected to said mandrel by a relatively coarse thread, a sleeve slidably disposed about said mandrel intermediate said assembly and slip cage and engaging said slips and the'top of said packer, the arrangementbeing such that the slips and packer can be" setin the casing by raising the mandrel to cause said sleeve to actuate the slips and expand the packer, and released from the casing by rotation of the mandrel due to the diiierential action between said relatively fine and coarse threads.

HILLIARD F. CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES. I'iA'I'ENTSv Number Name Date 2,248,211 Young a--. July 8, 1941 2,338,326 Green Jan, 4, 1944 2,355,199 Bass-inger Aug. 8, 1944 2,389,985 Justice et a1. Nov. 27, 1945 2,421,399 Wilson et a1. June 3. 1947 Such substances as acids and various. 

